R302 is fine between Tabant and La Cathdrale. About 20km of easy piste from Ahansal but all asphalt otherwise

thank you!

Updates to MH7, MH8 and MA13 right here:
https://sahara-overland.com/morocco-...s-corrections/

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

First of all I want to say big thanks to Chris and Tim for info. The route MZ1 Nkob to Skoura was fantastic experience. The route "light" at coast was great. Same goes for R704 that still not fully paved, just one side up to the top. Accidentally we also discovered fantastic and VERY hard to find location in Tazzeka national park. Ended up in auberge which is just in very very remote totally traditional Berber village with rather basic facilities. But great hosts and fantastic food. Had to ask for directions hundred times but we found it. First wide hard pack road then literally small tracks via forests and hillsides. Worth it. Now team decided to chill out a bit and take day break at surfers settlement in Sidi Kaouki. Tomorrow we will figure our way back towards Tanger.

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Hi! Just found this forum after our trip two weeks ago.
We did MS12 - MS6 - MS8 from Chris' book back to back in 2 4x4s.

MS12 is still a beautiful drive, piste is in good condition, tiny bit of sand but piste is still findable even without gps. The oued crossing was very chill, but that's to be expected in the summer I guess. There's a nice rocky shortcut to/from Merzouga at the end that avoids the tarmac that goes South/North there.

MS6 was a fairly easy ride as well, at least in a 4x4. It was very dead though.

MS8 was generally easy going as well, we took the original entry route and the pistes were mostly fully sanded in, wayfinding was quite fun, wouldn't recommend without gps though.
However, we were also turned around shortly before Tata and told to directly drive North to the Tarmac. Not sure if it is a general thing or because it was in the evening, but military presence was very high and we were escorted out when we took a wrong turn away from the route to the tarmac. Can share tracks etc if anyone is interested.

We only ever met two Italian 4x4s in the whole time we were there, so very calm and lonely.

All on all a nice trip through the desert, even in 45°C+. Definitely doable in summer and the heat with no AC in the cars makes for a nice desert feeling...at least that's what we tell ourselves.

Unfortunately didn't manage to do MW6 due to time limit.

MH7 Askouan to Ammasine is only passable for vehicles smaller than a 4x4.

Several large rocks on the track yet to be cleared after the earthquake.

I rode MH7 today and counted 4 constrictions (rocks on each side or one big one in the middle). Where the granite is friable it's been hammered at to widen the gap. I suppose eventually they will all go, but what looked like the narrowest gap (top pic) is the 1st/last one, just a couple of miles out of Amassine, so in a Humvee best to start from that end.

If you can't fit, back up then carry on along the road NW from Amassine to 30.82878, -7.6068 (hairpin armco) and follow the track SW to rejoin MH7 in about 7km at 30.78997, -7.64624 - about 20km from Askaoun.
It appears as no more than a donkey trail on some maps and faint of the aerials, but regular vans serve the villages (Tilemsine?) from both ends and no earthquake debris.

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Lots of flooding across the south today.

Saturady was our 2nd Pizzas on the Piste and 3 groups from the event are around Chegaga today heading west. We took the piste along the north edge of the Erg and turned back after meeting rising flood water on the track. Another guy took the south side and got blocked on the edge or Iriki. A Dutch couple reported water upto the windows somewhere north of the Erg but not 100% sure on location.

Other contacts reported big flooding around Tinghir and Er Rachidia

Amazing to see Route ZR1 (Nekob - Skoura, 100km) deteriorating month by month for motos, as mining truck axles grind the bends into powder and with no rain to wash it away.
We came back along part of the western arm to Tagmout, and every bend of consequence in now 6 inches + deep with bull dust. Even the col just west of Tagmout is thick with powder, and it's not even a bend!
It's more manageable than churned up soft sand or deep gravel, but still breaks the rhythm of a ride, having to paddle or wrestle the bike every few 100 metres. Shame, as the scenery is great up to KM70.
We came out via MH14 north towards Kelaa – not done it for years but a much nicer ride the flows all the way down. Did it again today going back in. Could be a better ride over Saghro, especially on a big bike with road tyres.
The first half of MZ1 is similarly dust bound, but the bends are bigger and fewer.
In a car none of this is a problem of course, just loads of dust.

Did Gorge to Gorge (G2G; MH3) first time since the 90s. Now only 18km of good piste in the middle, either side of the defile. When I think back to the aggro that once over-popular route aroused in the bad old days, with false guides at each end.
I noted a big new dam between Tamtatoucht and Todra Gorge.
That should put an end to flooding ripping up the narrow gorge section.

Also did the Kelaa-Tabant High Atlas crossing (MH19).
A couple of kms dirt south of Ait Hamad pass with loose switchbacks.
And the same 10-km long dirt ascent from just after the ford to the top of Ait Imi pass.

And also just did nearly the full length of MH1 from Tounfit to Dades gorge.
Much of the mountain road to the Imilchil N12 junction becomes potholed or has lost its asphalt altogether (especially over 2200m) and so resembles the piste before they started building the road 25 years ago.
At the Tounfit end they are putting big new bridges in.
The 2900-m Ouano pass is sealed 22km from Agoudal to the summit (the best bit of road I rode on all day). From there is rough with diggers and then just plain rough and narrow, 16km down to the auberge and the Tilmi road - which is pretty patchy for 21km until the G2G junction.
They are inching their way down the south side from the top, widening the track as they go, but I'd say even though they were still chipping away at 6pm, it will take them the rest of the year, let alone redoing the current road from Tilmi to G2G.

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Hi everyone!

Has anyone been through the Tizi N'Test recently, after the earthquake?

Is it open these days?

Thanks

It was open not very long after and remains so, but devastation all around, especially on the north side. You will be shocked.
They built a new fuel station at Ijoukak/Talat n Yacoub, even if Talat village is no more.

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Just did MH9 for the first time in donkey's years.
Much nicer than I recall. Still has the odd, 10km section of piste west of Nkob, but looks like roadworks are planned to link it up.
Nice route if not in a hurry between Tazenacht and Taliouine, especially if you take the 7km exclusion to Tisgui aït Oubial up over 2000m, and the amazing agadir there. Narrow and gets steep,
The nearby Tislite gorge (rounded rock formations; 3km south of the road) is less interesting.

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

I did MA7 today, N-S.
Apart from the Issil and Amtazguine palmerie ends, they’re most of the way through massively widening this piste, installing fords and cutting new alignments. JHammering away just a few km from Amtazguine where the old tarmac resumes. Apart from the new line of pylons (from Nour plant?), you do wonder why, but this is happening all over.

I also did MS13 (via an alternative start near Foum el Oued). No change to the fun piste section to Bleida, and next day found a direct route to Agdz through the range.

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Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Not sure if any of this has already been mentioned further up the thread, but in the last few days we’ve done the above mentioned routes.
MH4 is completely tarmac, with some great views. It would be loads of fun on a motorbike if you enjoy wiggly mountain roads with generally good surface (who doesn’t?).
MS7 is, so far, the only route from the book that we’ve tried which is still piste.
Loads and loads of corrugations and stone fields, and on the eastern end of the route lots of soft sand and small dunes. It took us well over the half day stated but the truck is a slow old thing at the best of times, and we stopped to meet people several times, all of whom were super welcoming and friendly.
Big shout out to Abdolah and his colleague, who seemed to be Iriqi park rangers and invited us for tea. Genuinely lovely people.
On getting close to Mhamid at the end of the route we were stopped by a local guide in a Land Cruiser so he could direct us to his friends garage in Zagora. Despite us not needing any work done.
2 days later when we did go to Zagora there was a chap on a scooter with pictures of our truck on his phone waiting to flag us down and take us to said garage. Despite us not needing any work done.
These guys are pretty over active at touting for business. Probably great if you need something done but otherwise a bit OTT and more like the overly commercial side of Morocco.
Overall the desert was a brilliant experience, mainly due to the people we met.

Certain mechanics in Zagora have reverted to the appalling bad business tactics of 10 years ago since Covid.

From your description I’m pretty certain which garage you refer to. They’ve sent me some rather unpleasant dm’s over the last few months just because someone asked a member in one of the Facebook groups I run how much they charged for some work!!